Friends of the Dusk (18 page)

‘You thought he fancied you?’

‘It’s been known to happen.’

‘Course it has, Jane. What did you talk about?’

‘I dunno. Not much. I mean, we didn’t like hold hands and arrange to meet later or anything like… God, this feels so weird. Was he attacked in the street or something?’

‘I’ll be upfront with you,’ Bliss said. ‘We don’t know why he was killed, but we don’t think it was robbery and we don’t think it was random. He was found at home and nothing seemed to have been stolen. Which is why we’re interested in his movements on the day he died. Who he met, what they talked about. If he’d said he’d have to dash off because he was meeting somebody.’

‘You should be so lucky.’

‘I can only ask.’

‘I don’t know,’ Jane said. ‘He was very friendly. He didn’t actually make any kind of move on me or anything.’

‘He was gay, Jane.’

‘Oh.’ Jane had started playing with a beermat. ‘I see.’

‘He seem happy, to you?’

‘Wouldn’t say that. He was very friendly, but I think that was just how he was, his nature. He told me he thought he was going to get a permanent job with the county archaeologist’s department because the head guy was expected to take early retirement and Coops would get his job and Tris would get Coops’s job, but that’s not going to happen.’

‘He thought he wasn’t going to be around for long?’

‘He said he thought that, with all the cuts, the department itself might not be long for this world, but I think he was just being cynical.’

‘So not happy.’

‘That’s the impression I got. Then Coops came over, so he didn’t say anything else.’

‘He didn’t say anything about Neil Cooper?’

‘Not really.’

‘Neil say anything about him?’

‘You think what happened to him was something to do with his job?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Oh yeah, he told me Coops had found a new grave on Castle Green after this tree came down in the storm. And there were some bones. When I asked Coops, he…’

Lol thought he saw a movement, a shadow crossing Jane’s face.

‘Go on,’ Bliss said.

‘He just didn’t say much. I was like, Oh you found some bones, right? Thinking there might be a big excavation coming off. And he said, Who told you that? And I said it was Tris.’

‘And he said?’

‘Oh— and I said, Should he have kept quiet about it? And Coops indicated it was no big deal one way or another.’

‘He said the bones were no big deal.’

‘Words to that effect. Look, I’m just one of the unemployed. He didn’t have to tell me anything.’

Bliss shook his head gently, and Lol wondered what this was really about. Coming out here to talk to somebody who, chances were, wouldn’t have anything to tell you… well, that surely wasn’t a DI’s job. In a murder inquiry, the DI was supposed to sit in his office and coordinate.

Jane finished her grapefruit juice, put the glass down. No more Bliss-baiting, her heart clearly wasn’t in it any more.

‘Where
is
your mam?’ Bliss said.

‘She’s…’ Jane shrugged. ‘Dunno. Out doing vicar things.’

Lol said, ‘You want Merrily to call you?’

‘I’ll catch up with her,’ Bliss said. ‘At some stage.’

24

Agony

S
OPHIE
’
S DOWNCAST EYES
said,
I’m so sorry.

A stark light was pushed into the gatehouse from a white line of sun between tough, gravelly clouds. There were three of them in the office and none was a bishop.

‘Bishop Craig’s asked me to talk to you,’ Siân Callaghan-Clarke said to Merrily. ‘As Archdeacon.’

There’d been no women bishops when Siân, ex-barrister, daughter of a Blair-era baroness, had been appointed as the Bishop’s head of human resources, or she might well have skipped this thankless phase.

‘I mean, rather than as a friend,’ Siân said. ‘Although I like to think we are these days. Friends.’

She looked up from the visitors’ chair, an eyebrow raised, all poise and sleek grey hair. Well, yes, they were better friends now than when Siân had been appointed to coordinate a failed diocesan deliverance panel with the psychiatrist, Nigel Saltash. There was almost trust between them now, but it wasn’t wise to count on it; a new regime could alter the whole diocesan dynamic.

‘Don’t look so mutinous, Merrily. Every bishop has a different way of working. Close the door. Come and sit down. Sophie, could we trouble you for coffee?’

Sophie nodded, moved to the dresser by the sink. If anybody ought to look mutinous it was Sophie – losing control, seeming no longer at home here. Merrily closed the door and went to her chair behind the desk in the window but didn’t sit down. The
chair wasn’t in its usual place, and the desk had been moved forward. Siân turned her own chair to face it.

‘Do sit down.’

Merrily wanted to move the chair back against the wall under the window. It didn’t look right and it didn’t feel right when she sat down.

‘Bishop Craig’s more into delegation than Bernie was,’ Siân said. ‘Something we all need to get used to.’

‘You mean he doesn’t like to break unwelcome news personally. To the shop floor.’

‘Oh, it’s not my idea of unwelcome news. He’d like you to consider accepting the post of Rural Dean for your area.’

‘
What?
’

‘Area supervisor,’ Siân explained, like she needed to. ‘More responsibility. More money.’

‘Head prefect,’ Merrily said.

She felt numb.

‘That’s rather unfair.’ Siân’s expression didn’t change. ‘You could be next in line for my job, if not here, then somewhere…’

Siân’s voice faded. Merrily heard traffic trickling down Broad Street. She felt unplugged. Sophie stood frozen at the dresser, her back to them. The room had dimmed, Merrily sensing those gritty black clouds tightening the narrow line of white.

‘What about Mark Shriver? Is he leaving?’

‘He’s relinquishing the post. With a view to retirement in a couple of years. The Bishop sees you as an obvious successor.’

Did that even seem likely?

‘Siân, I don’t know what to say. He doesn’t even know me. The one time we met, it was like I wasn’t here.’

‘He might give that impression sometimes,’ Siân said, ‘but I can assure you he makes it very much his business to know everything.’

‘Yes. Evidently.’

‘He doesn’t make these offers without due thought and consultation. He tells me he’s recognized your people skills.’

‘Huh?’

‘The way you’ve dealt with people facing… critical situations? Isolated people who often find it hard to discuss their problems. Including certain priests. Martin Longbeach always says he wouldn’t have come through his crisis without you, and we both know that country parishes…’

‘That mostly you can’t give them away,’ Merrily said.

Siân didn’t deny it.

‘With several churches each and fluctuating congregations, rural priests are finding it increasingly hard to cope, and it’s not likely to get any easier. Making Rural Dean a vital role.’

‘And quite a lot of extra work.’

‘It’s what you make of it.’ Siân smiled professionally. ‘Have a think about it. I can see you as a very special kind of agony aunt to the clergy of North Herefordshire.’

How patronizing was
that
?

‘However…’ Merrily took a slow breath. ‘… with the deliverance work as well…’

Over at the dresser, Sophie clashed crockery.

Siân was silent.

Lol cleaned out the stove, pulled the
Hereford Times
apart and crumpled it, page by page, into the firebox, adding kindling but not setting light to it. It still wasn’t that cold.

He sat on the sofa with his mobile, flicked to his contacts list, which actually wasn’t all that long. He still didn’t have many friends. Or enemies, come to that, give or take the odd psychiatrist.

The phone asked,
Do you want to call this number?

He hesitated. This really wasn’t his business. Jane might well have told her mother all about it, whatever it was.

But, on balance, probably not, and if he didn’t do it now he might regret it later. He called the number, and the call was answered very quickly.

‘Lol?’

‘Sorry, who’s—? Oh God,
Eirion.
Must’ve put your number in by mistake.’

‘Oh.’

‘Sorry.’

‘Well. That… happens. So, um, you OK, Lol?’

‘Bit out of it, you know. Most of the summer went on the kind of tour I never thought I’d have the balls to do again. But… it’s been an experience. And the way we have to go these days when everybody thinks recorded music should be free.’

‘Yes. Well. Good for you, man. You OK, otherwise? Mrs Watkins… Jane?’

‘We just had a drink. In the Swan.’

‘You and…?’

‘Jane.’

?.wenk I thguoht I enaJ eht ton s?tI .enaJ ton s?ti ?em gnipmud fo yaw a si siht fI? ?.esimorp I .lliw I? .dias loL ?,eruS? ??ot no gnignah m?I meetse-fles fo tib revetahw fo tuo parc eht hsams ot gniog s?ti neve ?gnihtyna tuo dnif uoy fi ?tsuj ,taht rewsna neve t?nod ,netsiL ?I ma ,lla ta laiceps gnikcuf ton m?I .ton m?I ,ylnO? .ffo ekorb eH ??dna gnizama erew thguoht evah ecno thgim uoy nemow fo sdaol teem uoy egelloc tA ?tub ,sgniws doom eseht sah ehs ,nosrep xelpmoc a etiuq s?ehs ,ysae ton s?ehs ,naem I? .ti no gnizies noiriE ??ehs t?nsi ,laiceps si ehS? ?.laiceps gnihtemos yawa evag uoy ezilaer dna retal sraey ytnewt ,net kcab kool neht dna sdneirflrig fo gnirts a evah dna yawa og nac uoY .efil ruoy ni egats yna ,emit yna ta eno thgir eht dnif nac uoy ?nac uoy ,kooL .taht ekil setam dah lla eW? .dias loL ?,haeY? ??ohw loohcs ta setam dah I .sneet ruoy fo tuo er?uoy erofeb elpuoc deirram dlo na er?uoy ekiL ?no seirrac ?tsuj taht ecnamor lrigloohcs eht ,syad eseht ,ti si ,doog ton s?tahT .su fo htob roF ?wonk uoy ,emit tsrif eht ekil saw ti ?tsrif ew nehW? .yas ot tahw wonk t?ndid loL ??txet enerI raeD gib ehT ?llaw eht no gnitirw eht daer ot
ehT .pots lluf kcab s?ehS? ??dnekeew eht rof kcab emac ehS?
gniliaf ,ekil ,I mA .od ot tahw wonk t?nod I ,loL ,tihS ??kniht uoy oD .ereht revo emac I esoppuS? ?.krow rof gnikool ,dlrow gib eht ni tuo flesreh gnidnif eb tsuj thgim taht tuB .lausu naht suoires erom ylniatrec s?ehS .si ti tahw wonk t?nod I tub ,thgir ton ylbissop s?gnihtemoS .yltsenoH .t?nod I? ?.gnihtemos wonk tsum uoy ,loL ,no emoC? .deliaf eciov s?noiriE ??I ,t?nsaw I tuB ?eseht lla htiw ereht reh gnivael ,ffidraC ot kcab gnimoc tuoba deirrow neeb ev?thgim I ,naem I .enaJ sdrawot evitcetorp etiuq erew syug ehT .ees dluoc I taht taht fo enon saw ereht tub ,stsefgahs ,ekil ,erew sgid lacigoloeahcra eseht taht draeh htob d?ew ?gniht rehto eht dnA? ?.thgiR? ?.doog saw taht oS .reh ekil thguoht ohw maet eht no elpoep rehto yllautca erew ereht dna ,erom meht ot gniklat neeb d?ehS .enif saw ti yas ot retal syad fo elpuoc a dellac ehs tub ,reh gnivael tuoba deirrow tib a saw I .reh htiw gnola og ot tseb syawla s?ti tub ,syug VT eht htiw ecneirepxe gnitailimuh taht retfa ,suoituacrevo gnieb saw ehs thguoht I? ?.nwod ti gniyalp saw ehs tahT .oot ,em ot taht dias s?ehS? ?.ffuts yppih dlo gnissarrabme taht lla dna senil yel dna seiretsym-htrae hguorht ti ni detseretni emoceb ylno d?ehs taht esolcsid ,wonk uoy ,ot ton luferac gnieb saw ehS .stsigoloeahcra ,hcnub thgit ytterp a er?yehT .ni gnittif ton tuoba deirrow neeb dah enaJ .tsrif ta ykcor tiB .tsew tuo ,doog ytterp saw tI .t?ndid ydoolb ew ,oN .oN? ??wor a evah uoy diD? .eniF ?.enif saw gnihtyreve tahT .KO saw ehs taht noitamrofni eht gniyevnoc tsuJ .stxet trohs fo elpuoc a s?dah ev?I llA .sllac ruoy nruter ton t?nseod ehs tub ,snoitanimircer fo lufrae na teg thgim uoY .sllac ruoy rewsna ton t?nseod ehs wor a dah ev?uoy fi neve ,enaJ wonk uoY? ??wor a dah uoY? ??gnihtyna ?dias s?ehs esoppus t?noD .sllac ym gnirewsna neeb t?nsah ehs ,tsenoh eb ot ?ehS .gid eht tfel I ecnis toN .elihw a ni reh nees t?nevah I? .dias noiriE ?,oN? .evots nepo eht ni gnilknircnu ylbidua saw semiT drofereH ehT .esuaP ??wonk t?ndid uoY .pu dnuow gid

She’d very deliberately
not
left the Freelander on the Bishop’s Palace car park, not wanting to drive out of there aware of doing it for the last time.

Not that it was going to be. Not quite yet. This was more complicated than a simple dismissal. Closer to assisted suicide.

With the day fading fast, she hurried down to the bottom of the car park by the swimming pool, racing the long-threatened rain, but not quite making it. She slammed herself into the driving seat, big drops hitting the windscreen and splattering on impact like hollowpoint bullets from heaven.

She called Huw.

‘Subtle,’ he said. ‘I underestimated him.’

From the bottom corner of the car park she could see lights coming on downstairs in the Bishop’s Palace across the river, the sky behind it a smudge of charcoal.

‘He’s rewarding me,’ Merrily said. ‘For having done a good job. Enduring for so long something I hadn’t wanted in the first place.’

‘Who told you that?’

‘Sophie. Afterwards.’

Afterwards, Sophie had told her about a new procedure Innes had mentioned almost in passing. In future, all requests for deliverance advice received by Sophie, from the diocesan clergy or the general public, should be referred to the Bishop who would decide whether it was a valid deliverance issue or
something that could be referred elsewhere.

‘Jesus Christ,’ Huw said.

‘I feel sorry for Sophie, stuck between two…’

‘She’ll survive. But this is a bit more serious than I thought.’

‘Please keep it to yourself. She’s not supposed to have told me.’

‘So he’s rewarding you…’

‘For services rendered. And discreetly offering to relieve me of my burden.’

‘Ha!’

‘Wished this on myself, Huw. All that crap about deliverance having become a touchstone.’

‘Don’t be so bloody superstitious. This word “burden”, that’s
his
word? You’ve never used it, to Sophie or anybody?’

‘Not that I recall.’

‘He’s stitching you up. Just like every rural dean in the country’s been stitched up. Your honourable friend, did she tell you how, every time some priest can’t take it any more and buggers off back to the city, you’ve got to make sure his services get covered till he’s replaced? Then you get to arrange the installation of the next sucker. That’s when you’re not talking some other poor isolated bastard down off his church tower. It’s a job as gets more depressing every year.’